Columbus Blue Jackets at New York Islanders

The Islanders allowed two goals in the third period as they fell on Sunday to the Flames, 3-2. It was the first time New York lost in regulation when leading after two periods since February 28, 2016 at Edmonton.

The Blue Jackets snapped a five-game losing streak with Saturday's 6-1 win over the Devils. Columbus fired 50 shots on goal for the first time since taking 60 at Arizona on December 3, 2016.

New York is 9-0-4 in its last 13 home games against Columbus. The 13-game home point streak is the longest for the Islanders against one opponent since a 15-game run over the Rangers from December 9, 1989 -- November 27, 1993.

Josh Anderson matched his total from last year with his team-leading 17th goal in the win against New Jersey. Columbus had lost each of the previous four games in which Anderson scored, earning their first win since December 14.

Anthony Beauvillier recorded his ninth goal in the last 15 games in Sunday's loss to Calgary. After scoring just four goals in his first 31 games, Beauvillier is tied for third in the NHL with those nine goals since January 7.

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 34 of 35 shots Saturday versus the Devils. It was the 17th time Bobrovsky posted a save percentage of .950 or better, tied for second in the NHL behind Andrei Vasilevskiy with 18.

NEW YORK -- The NHL playoffs don't officially begin until April 11. But for all intents and purposes, the postseason starts Tuesday night for the New York Islanders and the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Two of the seven Metropolitan Division teams wrapped up in a tightly-packed race for the final two Metro playoff spots and the two Eastern Conference wild-card berths will face off at Barclays Center.

The Blue Jackets snapped a five-game losing streak Saturday night when they beat the visiting New Jersey Devils 6-1. The host Islanders squandered a two-goal lead Sunday and fell to the Calgary Flames 3-2.

The loss by the Islanders (27-24-6) cost them a chance to break a tie with the Blue Jackets (28-23-4) and move into a wild-card spot. Instead, New York and Columbus enter Tuesday with 60 points apiece, one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes, who occupy the second wild card, and two points behind the wild card-leading Devils.

But the Islanders and Blue Jackets are also just one point ahead of the last-place New York Rangers and within striking distance of the second- and third-place teams in the Metro -- the Pittsburgh Penguins (66 points) and Philadelphia Flyers (65 points).

All seven teams are in action Tuesday night, meaning the Islanders and Blue Jackets could be anywhere from all alone in the second wild-card spot to alone in last place by the end of the evening.

Such unpredictability is likely a sign of things to come for the next seven weeks, when the thinnest of margins could determine who advances to the playoffs and who heads home.

"With the way it is right now, as far as the standings, everything has to be better," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said after practice Monday. "Our goaltending needs to be better. All facets of the game -- defense, offense, special teams -- need to continue to try to be consistent and better."

The clash Tuesday night caps five straight games against Metro foes for the Blue Jackets, who opened the stretch with a 3-2 loss to the Islanders at Barclays Center on Feb. 3, and begins a three-game divisional swing for the Islanders, who host the Rangers on Thursday before visiting the Hurricanes on Friday.

"I think this week is do or die for us," Islanders center Casey Cizikas told Newsday after practice Monday afternoon. "We'd either be in a really good position, or we can be in a tough position where we're kind of looking from the other side in. We want to make sure that we're putting pressure on other teams to keep up with us and we're not chasing them. So this week is massive."

The Islanders' Jaroslav Halak and the Blue Jackets' Sergei Bobrovsky are expected to oppose one another in a battle of No. 1 goalies. Halak took the loss Sunday when he had 39 saves against the Flames. Bobrovsky posted the win Saturday, making 34 saves against the Devils.

Halak is 13-5-3 in 22 regular-season appearances against the Blue Jackets. Bobrovsky is 14-5-0 in 20 games against the Islanders.